Ethics in the digital workplace
Digitisation and automation technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), can affect working conditions in a variety of ways and their use in the workplace raises a host of new ethical concerns.
Italian high-end sofa manufacturer Natuzzi announced it will dismiss up to 1,000 workers at the end of 2018.
The dismissals are attributed to the expiration of the solidarity agreement negotiated in 2015 by the company and the trade unions to guarantee the employment by reducing working hours of the entire staff.
Trade unions deem the announced employment reduction as unacceptable and they have asked the regional governments of the two affected regions, Puglia and Basilicata, for 'a serious commitment to relaunch the company and the entire furniture district'. The company announced that it is willing to start negotiations with the trade unions.
Update, 28/06/2018: The previously announced 1,000 dismissals will be avoided as part of the agreement signed by Natuzzi at the Ministry of Economic Development. The company will invest €36 million euros in a new production facility, with the support of the public investment agency Invitalia. Of the total inveestment about €10 million are earmarked by Puglia region to support the workforce during the restructuring. A share of the affected workers will be retrained in order to be allocated to new production activities.
Eurofound (2018), Natuzzi, Internal restructuring in Italy, factsheet number 93809, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/93809.